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82

TeamXbox

While the aesthetic values of the game may not be as high as some would like, there’s no denying that Shattered Union will find its niche audience and if we’re lucky there could (and should) be a Shattered Union 2 on the horizon.

Even though the game tries some new stuff in an attempt to invigorate the genre, it really doesn't offer anything new or exciting that we haven't already played numerous times before. It pales in comparison to the likes of Advance Wars and Command & Conquer, and for me to decide that this is a great game in the genre it should really be surpassing or (at least) equaling those two games. There is some fun to be had and is still definately worth a look, especially seeing as how barren the RTS genre is on the home consoles.

All in all, Shattered Union is a decent game. I guess what peeves me a bit is that it could have been a terrific game. I know that developer PopTop and publisher 2K Games are trying to create something that is a little more console friendly, especially to those unfamiliar with the genre, but I have a feeling that much of that could have been accomplished with a bit more polish and presentation rather than cutting back on the strategic side of the experience.

Despite Shattered Union's flaws, we still found ourselves enjoying the gameplay quite a bit. This is the kind of lightweight wargame that no one seems to make anymore, and it's still a bit surprising that a major publisher would be behind this in a day and age when turn-based wargames are the domain of the niche publishers. There's certainly room for improvement, and we hope that Shattered Union will get a chance for a sequel, because this is a game with a ton of potential. Make no mistake, though; this is still an interesting and engaging wargame that anyone can pick up and play, and the subject matter is undeniably cool.

Overall, this is a very fun little game. If you can find someone to play this with, it gets even more entertaining. Since it sells for $40, and will undoubtedly drop now that the 360 has been released, this is a good game to have for any strategy fan. Wait until mid-December and then pick this one up- you won’t regret it.

In many respects Shattered Union is still quite an old-school turn-based game, relying heavily on you studying the rules and planning things several battles in advance. The decent visuals and mainstream theme do help things a little, and the underlying complexities of hex-based warfare are pretty well masked, but in the end this is still a game for those who prefer to spend long nights, manual in hand, working towards a distant reward.

Should you buy it or not? Well, sadly I would have to say no. Even though the game tries some new stuff in an attempt to invigorate the genre, it really doesn’t offer anything new or exciting that we haven’t already played numerous times before. It pales in comparison to the likes of Advance Wars and Command & Conquer, and for me to concede that this is a great game in the genre it should really be surpassing or, at least, equaling those two games. There is some fun to be had, but the price of admission is far too high for what you get to play around with.

Despite its flaws, Shattered Union does have a certain something. It's definitely not going to be for everyone, as turn based strategy games can be a bit of a niche market. Also, for those who revel in graphics and sound over content, it'll definitely disappoint. However, for Xbox owners who want an intellectual battlefield challenge that falls somewhere between Advance Wars on the GBA and one of the Close Combat series, this is probably one you should enjoy. My advice is to hang fire though, as I suspect it'll soon be in a bargain bin near you.

But despite all the rantings of how hard work this game is, it’s not all bad. The actual combat graphics of the map are more than adequate and the general feeling of carnage ensuing as buildings are shattered and terrain is spoiled is impressive, so real RTS nut cases will probably lap this up. The controls are confusing and encumbering but they’re not impossible to get used to so, given a bit of dedication you might just find that you budding generals out there might get all the right buttons pushed with this game. Personally, I think I might just stick to Advance Wars.

In the end, the worst part about these surface annoyances is how they keep Shattered Union from being the awesome game its developers were obviously aiming for. There's the core of a truly great beer & pretzels wargame in here, and strategy gamers looking for a light, enjoyable romp through a ruined United States will have a lot of fun with Shattered Union, particularly in multiplayer. It's just that -- as with most political promises -- what the game is simply doesn't match up to what it could have been.

Overall Shattered Union is a great strategy game let down technically by the graphics engine and forgettable sound. Definitely one for strategy nuts (are there any who own Xboxes?) but not a game I’d recommend to people that want a quick blast.

Shattered Union’s problem is that it tries to cram far too much in, and instead lacks and kind of real depth in any area. The enemy AI is weak, and far too unwilling to take advantage of the many errors you’ll make early on. The hex based graphics are functional enough, as are the strategic menu’s, but lack the kind of dazzling effects that we crave. The steep difficulty curve too will only put off many would be strategy masters, and can only cause frustration, if lengthen out proceedings a little. A potentially strategic master, that falls by the wayside thanks to some poor tactical decisions during design and implementation. How ironic.

General ugliness, poor presentation, ropey tactics, and a general lack of charm all doom Shattered Union to that bargain bin in the sky. The plastic CGI storytellers and the fuzzy, characterless maps just leave you with the sour sense of wasted-time rolling around in your skull. It will engage you if you're willing to shrug off that sense of hollowness, but, with that in mind, I'm not sure why anyone would have bought this in the first place.

The problem with Shattered Union is that it barely manages to rise above anything but dull. The game is remarkably slow-paced as the AI is left to its own resources to take its turn, marred even further by frequent cases of slowdown and dreadful loading times, and the rest isn’t really a memory a minute either. Average and forgettable are two words that perfectly sums things up.

You know, I really like turn-based strategy. I get way into the tactics of holding territory, abusing lines of sight, and planning out my offensives in great detail. Maybe that's why I hate this game so much. Shattered Union does an amazing job of taking all of the worst parts of the genre - pug-ugly graphics, irritating menu-driven controls, and needlessly complex rule structures - and combines them into a leprous pile of boring gameplay.